Sonora Guitars

Duane Waterman Biography

Sonora Guitars is as much an idea, or concept, as it is a name for a series of handmade guitars produced in the Tucson shop. For over thirty years Duane Waterman has designed and hand made many fine concert guitars and professional level steel string guitars - including some very custom instruments fitted to player's special needs. He continues to make these very special, exclusive instruments under the Duane Waterman Fine Guitars banner and these are highlighted in another area of this site.



In 1999 he moved his home and shop to Tucson, Arizona and became involved with the terrific guitar program here at the University of Arizona. Both the undergraduate and graduate programs for guitar majors are well developed here with many fine young players from around this country and Latin America. At the University of Arizona Duane noticed the same thing that he had experienced in the other guitar programs that he had previously been involved with - that for these aspiring guitarists there was little choice for instruments appropriate for their use except true professional concert instruments (national/international level, in the $4,500 - 6,000+ range) or well-made high-end student, factory instruments (mainly Spanish, in the $1,000 - 1,800 range).



Without exaggerating, he believes that these developing guitarists will learn more effectively, will enjoy their many hours of practice more, and will perform much better, and more confidently, on the more refined handmade professional guitars than with even the best of the high-end student factory guitars.

For the students that can afford a true international level handmade concert guitar this dilemma is not an issue. There are many available to these players from any number of dealers and guitarmakers around the country - including Waterman’s own shop. But for those students, and other serious amateur players, on a tighter budget it is difficult to get a true professional level guitar and, unfortunately, most settle for the better factory guitars. Over the last few years Waterman has developed the Sonora Guitars line to fill this need and provide a professional level guitar at a price between the best factory guitars and the more costly established concert instruments.